Revive The Strongest Three
by YourGrandlineFiction
Summary: With soul Society in its greatest pinch during the Thousand Year War, Ichigo comes to the spotlight with three people who are revived from their deathbeds who are once called the strongests of their time. (Ichiruki, HitsuKarin. I don't know how the rating works but this would not contain gore or smut, just pure romance and fun for those taking a break from porn.)
1. Chapter 1

(setting: The Blood Warfare

Rukia, Renji, and Byakuya had gone to Soul Society after training and recovering.)

CHAPTER ONE: The Favor

The Soul King isn't available. Ichigo has to ask him something to help in the war. As he walked around tha palace, he heard someone in the room near the soul king.

"LET ME GO!" a voice of a girl cried.

He didn't want to peek but he did. It was a beautiful girl about his age. She was clothes in white dress. Her hair was dark brown and about as long as Inoue's hair. Her eyes were dark and swollen as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yama-jii… Yama-jii is…"

Ichigo did not like the sound of it. He rushed inside and found the girl talking to a massive mirror.

"Uh…" he said, realizing his mistake. "Uhm, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo…"

"Kurosaki…" the girl gave it a thought as the mirror dimmed. She lit up. "You-… Karin's brother!"

"You know Karin?!"

This was not the usual question. It was usually dad that they know or Urahara but this is a first for Karin's name.

"I'm the Soul Princess. It's a long story but I've met your sister before. What brings you here?"

Ichigo scratched his head. Well, Karin has her own reasons and I'm not in place to be asking wherever she's been. It's not like I've talked to her about this matters before and she's been doing a good job protecting Karakura when I lost my powers before.

"I need to ask a favor."

"Impudent."

"Uh…" His brain raced as he calculated what happened inside this room. "Looks like papa Soul king wouldn't allow you to go to the war."

She flinched. "You little-"

"You know, I have a pass to go down." He smiled sheepishly as he pointed at his toes. "If you grant me a wish, I can hide you with me."

She gave it a thought. "You can't."

"Well, if I can't then there's no wish granting. Maaaan, isn't it too controlling in here? Not being able to do anything. It's nice if you could prevent deaths," he looked at her with sharp eyes. With what he heard, he was pretty sure something bad happened and he is in a race with time to get down. However, he couldn't just gamble everything on him. He needs this favor only the divine family can possibly do.

"Very well, I'll hear you out. If we get caught…"

"There's no threat to me."

After successfully getting out of the palace with a few problems because of the guards, Ichigo has sneaked out the princess of the palace.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Kiza," she said as she held on Ichigo's arm so she wouldn't fall. She pointed north. "See that?"

Ichigo's heart raced. Even from their distance, he could feel it- the cold reiatsu that shivered the whole palace before. It was pure white and silent but massive. A chill crossed across his body. There's only one person right now in soul society who could have such eerie cold reiatsu. It was like when Kenpachi first used reiatsu to attack him. This one was formidable.

It can only be her.

Kiza grinned. "Terrifying. When I've first felt that in the soul palace, I raked my brain for someone on the enemy side who has a cold reiatsu. But this was different, it's eerie yet beautiful. You know her, right?"

Ichigo grinned back. "Ahh,"

"So, what's your wish?" she asked as they landed.

Ichigo closed his eyes and felt everybody's reiatsu- the ones still there, barely alive, and those who he can't sniff out anymore. He clutched his fists. "How many people can you revive?"

Kiza tensed. "You know that's-"

"Please."

There was no girl in the skin of earth who can say no to Ichigo (though he's probably not aware of this), not even the soul princess who blushed. "You can only revive in exchange for another's life! No matter how you beg me, I won't kill anybody just to revive someone who has died!"

"Oh, so that's how it works. Then I'll give you three weeks of my life."

Her eyes widened. "To even give some of your time…"

"Nah, is that not yet fine? I'm not even going to be someone great in the future anyway."

That's not true, thought the princess. Just be looking at him, I could tell. This man is going to be a great person befitting of a king. Just like how she felt with Kurosaki Karin.

She cleared her throat. "Ten years of your life is equivalent to one week of somebody else's. That's how it works. If I kill a man that is thirty years old and has forty to come, I can revive someone for only four weeks… or four people with a week each."

Ichigo gave it a thought. "I'm not good with calculations but if I revive three people for a week, I won't die yet right?"

The princess looked at his lifespan. "Hm, yes you wouldn't. But are you sure of this? That's thirty years of your life…"

"Th-thirty?!"

"You didn't really compute it did you?!"

He sighed. "I wanted maybe five but they had to be alive for a week and I don't think I have fifty to spare. Let's go with thirty. My teenage years would be enough."

"You stupid-"

"Just get on with it!"

She started the ritual. "Who would be these three individuals that you'd be sacrificing decades of your life for?"

"Hm. Let's see, give me the strongest shinigami presently dead who would cooperate with me for sure."

She gave it a thought. THAT person would be perfect. "And?"

"I don't care who the other two is, but give me two more who are ranked strongest and has the heart to protect soul society."

She nodded. "Got it."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The Knight

(a/n: I updated pretty late because I was waiting for events in the manga that would fit in the fic and I had to figure out how to add a chapter)

Ichigo has landed.

It was not exactly what she'd call a decent land because when the chant ended, he was suddenly carrying four people who did nothing but push each other. When you get three supposedly strongest people of their respective times, a light push can easily send you flying down.

This is what happened to Ichigo.

Kiza did not bother to worry where he landed. He was fine on his own and he had a broken head to begin with. It was funny how he did not recognize one of the three. She even brought that person back for him.

"Well, whatever," she left them.

There were so many places she wanted to be at once but her time was limited. Sooner or later she'd be forcibly taken back to the soul palace- that eternally boring cage. Finally, she decided where to go.

Like Ichigo, she landed not so very well fitting of a princess. "Damn," she stood up and straightened her dress. "Now… where the hell did I land?" She squinted her eyes and looked around until her eyes stopped at someone who was a hair away from her face.

"Woaaaah," Kiza had the instinct to move away from him. Of all the people she had met, this sandal-hat bastard was the one she deemed not only most dangerous but most annoying. "Look who we have in here. Noooo waaaay~~~ Is this the SOUL PRINCESS. That's a-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Kisuke Urahara blinked. "Was I too loud? Hikifune might hear me?"

She sighed. "You never change, you bastard."

"You never grow too. Now my dreams of confessing to you are all shattered. I look like your older brother now."

"YOU DON'T! In fact, you look like my father!"

Kisuke tensed. "I… resemble the soul king?"

"This is hopeless."

Soul society (days before Renji, Byakuya and Rukia came to soul society)

"If you get what I'm saying then-"

"I do not get any of it!" Karin yelled at Toushiro. "I've trained myself all these times so I could be of a help… Why do you always hide things from me? I know it, I know everything! We've fought together before. Aren't we… friends?"

Toushiro looked at her with sharp eyes. "I don't know how the hell do you keep getting to soul society. I heard Urahara Kisuke was in Hueco mundo…" he stared at her for an answer she wasn't willing to give. "But you are a HUMAN and you are not that dumb for me to keep pounding it in your head that I won't let you-"

"Bullshit! What about my brother?!" she knocked over Toushiro's cup of tea. "Isn't he human as well?!"

"How many millennia shall we discuss this?" He started getting impatient as well. "We cannot avoid your brother joining battle now! But I-" he stopped and continued after a blink, "We can avoid leaning on you. I will be a criminal if I let you."

"Then why is Rukia-nee a seated officer after involving Ichi-nii?"

"This conversation, I swear…," he sighed with the clearest sign of stress from losing his bankai. "For the millionth time, Karin, Kuchiki rukia was set up by Aizen. Let us stop. I'm busy. I've discovered already that whoever sends you here EVERY-SINGLE-TIME has no means of getting you back so stay here and wait for Matsumoto. I have to go," he stood up.

Karin looked down. "I heard from your team that you lost your bankai."

Toushiro tensed.

"That's why I want to be of assistance," she clutched her uniform skirt. "When can I help you? When can I help my brother? When can I help everybody…? I'm tired of just worrying. I'm tired of being useless. Even in Karakura I'm banned from hunting hollows without a shinigami company. Actually I'm banned, you shinigamis do not even let me fight. I'm tired of this."

He bit his lip. From the time they have met in the real world, Karin had been showing up in soul society many times (maybe more than his brother) that made him guilty. At first he thought it was just Urahara Kisuke helping her but he was surprised that she showed up even without the aid of him. If she gets hurt, then it is his fault for dragging her in this. If he had not got too attached to Karin, she will have never learned anything and stayed at home. He owed the former captain a lot already. He owed Ichigo a lot already. The only way he can repay is to make sure Karin is safe… even if he had to hurt her feelings.

As promised, Karin was sent home without a fight.

"I understand how you feel," said Rangiku. "But you're not a hero of soul society or anything like Ichigo," said she, obviously not to make me feel any better. "So you have no obligations to shoulder anything." She looked at me for a while then sighed. "Okay!" she tapped my head. "I will not lecture you, I'm not your boyfriend. A girl talk then," she smiled sheepishly. "Who is that third party cutie who has the means of sending you here as you wish? Man, the captain is jealous. Who knows if you like that boy? I'm pretty and all but I really have no fight against your charm."

Who ever said it was a boy, anyway? "I am not Toushiro's girlfriend!"

"Wow, that's a quick response. I said a lot and all that you've picked up is that I pointes you as his girlfriend. I even tried to be vague about it. How sharp!"

After holding in my anger and realizing it was futile to argue with her, I just kept silent. She just wanted me to feel better which I will not be and I'm not the type who falls for smooth talking and sell out the my key person.

"Cheeky brat," Rangiku muttered.

"Old woman," I replied in annoyance then ran away to the exit. She wasn't going to walk me home anyway.

"K-A-R-I-N-C-H-A-N!" Dad threw himself to me which slammed the two of us on the floor. "Where have you been huh? Weeell, dad is never gonna scold you! He's just gonna kiss you-"

I kicked his face away. "Study group."

"Ah! Karin-chan!" Yuzu called. "You went off somewhere earlier, where did you go?"

"Oh, dinner. Study group, study group!" I took my chopsticks. Ichigo might be obvious when something is wrong but I have learned that I must not be like him. I can hide stuff flawlessly. I bet he did not even notice that I have awakened my shinigami powers and have fought Ken-chan. It just annoyed me that the old man would tell Ichigo stuff while he kept silent with me. Considering him, maybe he has not noticed the change in me too.

But I can't just sit back like what they told me and I bet all of my savings that Toushiro knows that. There's no way I can sleep to knowing he's in grave danger. He is very bankai dependent and the moment he loses that, he's no better than her.

Back to Hueco mundo

"Ah! Urahara-san, who is…?" Inoue pointed at Kiza.

"My dream girl,"

Kiza kicked him. "KIza," she stretched a hand that Inoue shook.

"This feeling… have you met Kurosaki-kun?!"

"Well, I have."

Inoue turned to Chad. "Sado-kun!"

Chad nodded with a smile. "It feels like he's gotten stronger."

"You can feel it from me? Wow, creepy humans. Creepy Ichigo,"

"KYAAA! Stop it Grimmjow-sama!" Nel yelled from a nearby pillar. "You can't-"

Grimmjow kicked her away.

"Nel!" Dondochakka and Pesche caught her.

Grimmjow walked to them with his usual scowl but then stopped in front of Kiza. "Princess," he knelt. "It's good to have you back."

Kiza clamped a hand over her mouth. "Why do you… have a form of… is that an arrancar?"

Kisuke 'whispered' to Kiza, "Should we leave the two of you?"

"No… no…," a tear fell from her cheek as she knelt next to him and embraced him. "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry, Grimmjow… knight to the divine family."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three: The First Person**

(a/n: From now on, I will not be going by the story flow of latest manga because I'd rot before I'm able to update anything.)

"Ichigo," said Kiza on the phone. "You picking up, low life?"

"Why yes, your majesty!" he answered in annoyance.

"Good. Do whatever you want. I just need to tell you about one person from the three."

"Uh?"

"I bet you've met the chibi-hime?"

"Yuuki?"

"I.. love you…"

Every night, when my mother was still alive, I used to have dreams that wake me up at night with a headache that splits the head in two. I don't know when it started. Maybe when I started to think, my mind created the illusions.

"Uryuu," my mother would come to my side. "Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare?"

My father would wake up and give me a glass of water that I'd never drink. "Drink it," he'd point the sleeping pill beside it. I tried it once and swore to never again. Why would I force myself to sleep when every time I dream I always do my best to wake it up?

"I had a dream," my breathing would slow now.

"What is it about?"

"There was a girl,"

"A girl? Is it someone from school?"

"No, mom. I'm sure I've never seen her before but I get this feeling I'm supposed to know her."

"What did she look like?" Ryuuken asked.

"She had gray hair… and amber eyes."

He squinted. "Katagiri?"

"Hm, I do not know a girl with gray hair and amber eyes."

"Can you still recall what happened?" mom asked again.

I raked my aching head. I remembered being mad at them for asking me so many questions that just made my head hurt more. "I don't."

"You're turning nine. Ever since you started to talk, you had these nightmares. Dreams are connected to what you have been thinking at day. Do you think it's a ghost?"

"Ryuuken!"

"Don't worry. Uryuu knows what a ghost is and what's not. Don't you?"

I nodded. "I'm not sure."

After my mom died, the best that Ryuuken can offer was to multiply the number of pills.

The dreams have stopped already after meeting with a little girl that resembled her. When I started going to high school, I started remembering the dreams. I was a grown man, and there was this girl with long gray hair and amber eyes. There are nights when we just stared at each other. We laughed, we talked, we held hands, and kissed. But just when we were getting married, the dream ends with an unbearable pain.

Tonight, I had the dream again.

The first person (first of the three that Ichigo revived) slammed to Uryuu's face as he was staring off thinking about his dream.

"Y..yukinari?" He stood up and fixed his eyeglasses. But she was different from their usual meeting. She was now a teenager about his age. She did not wear shinigami clothes too. She wore a pink kimono with a gold robe and golden hairpiece- bases of nobility. Except that she was barefoot. The last time he saw her, she was a tiny kid with shinigami uniform.

Now she looked exactly like the girl in his dreams.

"Uryuu!" She stood up quickly and examined his face and body. "Oh gods, it is you!"

They stared at each other before she buried her face in his chest.

"And who might that person be, Uryuu-sama?" Haschwalt appeared from a corridor.

He stood up and pulled Yukinari up. "Princess Yukinari of Soul Society before there was gotei thirteen."

Haschwalt did not buy this. "Is she a shinigami?"

"You must be able to tell. She is not. She was a ruler of shinigamis. When she grew older, she left the soul society in the care of Yamamoto Genryusai."

"Slay her. She's obviously on their side."

Yukinari stood up. "No matter what happens from now on, I'm always on Uryuu's side."

"What's up with Yuuki?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, I'm afraid she might not cooperate."

"HAH?! But you didn't you said you'd revive only those who would cooperate? And why would she not?"

"Well, she'd protect soul society in her own way."

He sighed. "Let her be, nothing will come out if I regret it and I'm under attack so I suggest you don't call if it's not important."

She smirked. "Insolent,"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"First dance, white moon,"

Ice started to coat Bazz B's body but he flinched just in time. "Another Ice user? Gimme a break."

"By the sound of it, you must have crossed swords with Hitsugaya-taichou?" Rukia appeared just behind him.

"Burner finger- four!"

"Fire," Rukia looked down. "From the chilliest to the warmest, I guess?"

"Ohh… I know now. This reiatsu… you're that fucker who knocked out As Nodt."

She closed her eyes. "They say that fire can melt ice. Do you think that Ice can do something against fire?"

"Nothing can do anything against my flames," he smirked and attacked.

"I see, but how about ice that had conquered fear and death?" It started snowing.

"And what do this do? It melts before it touches me? Or do you have a better trick than vacuum ice?"

"Vacuum ice?"

Rukia pulled out her sword. "Do you know the difference between captain's Hyourinmaru and my Sode no Shirayuki?"

"Burner finger,"

It did not reach Rukia. "Sadly, your flames would never touch me… and to such sad ability of yours, I don't even have to use the same attack that I used on As Nodt.

"Fourth dance, Yuki Onna."

The snow clumped behind Bazz B and turned to a figure of Sode no Shirayuki that bent over to hug him.

"Fuck this, Ice will never-" he gasped.

"You must have noticed," said Rukia. "It touched you. The main difference of my zanpakutou from other zanpakutous is that it turns a flesh body into ice itself. That's why my I turn into ice when I use my bankai. Hyourinmaru is armor. It clads you in ice. That woman behind you is not the same snow that failed to touch you. It's your reiatsu that I turned to ice."

"Damn," he tried to summon flames but did not work. "BURNING STOMP!"

"Do you not understand? Those flames you summoned just now are just plain candlelight. I froze your reiatsu and by now would be the freezing point of your lower limb, you have any last words?"

"Die, you shit! This will not kill me! I'm STERNRITTER H- THE HEAT, BAZZ B!" he summoned more flames that did not work.

As Bazz B yelled, he got completely frozen. A flying person suddenly hit him and shattered him to pieces.

"Damn… DAMN IT YOU!" A woman with green hair yelled. She had the uniform of quincy but from her anger, she almost did not notice Rukia.

"I was wondering whose eerie and chillingly scary reiatsu that was," Rukia looked up to see Ichigo with both swords. "Just what did they turn you into up there?"

"Fool. As if you would not recognize me,"

He smirked, "HAH. The bankai slapped me your name."

"And I do not want to hear anything about getting strong reiatsu from a monster like you,"

One of the girls attacked Rukia but Ichigo shielded her. Rukia did not blink as if expecting it.

"Is that his girlfriend?"

"She killed As Nodt and Bazz B."

"Who cares, they are just useless anyway!"

"Wh-" Rukia was about to say but Ichigo butted in.

"Who would date a freak like Rukia?"

She kicked him. "That's my line!"

"Hoooh. Since her hair is already short, why don't we toast it bald so she won't be so cute anymore?"

"I-..I'm," Rukia fidgeted. "I'm not cute."

The girls stared at her.

"Should I repeat that they want you bald?" Ichigo asked.

Kisuke's eyes narrowed. "Orihime-chan, Sado-kun, let's leave them for a while."

Orihime flinched. "Eh.. uhm, yes," she looked at them for one last time before she turned her back and walked away. She, Sado-kun, and even Urahara-san wasn't supposed to hear anything. She felt like a trespasser not just because she heard about the divine but also she heard about Grimmjow being a knight to them. It was something private, something he hid to himself and there were them to accidentally hear it.

"Well," Kisuke started with an enthusiastic voice that startled her and Chad from what they have witnessed. "That's intriguing and all but I certainly did not see anything not heard a word. We stared off a space them boom, we're back to training! Of course, you two didn't either?"

They both nodded.

Grimmjow looked at her eyes. He did not know why but Kiza's presence was enough for him. His entire life was at ease. He could not remember anything when he became a hollow. He was just hungry and thirsty for another soul and this has driven him to the lust for power. He couldn't remember but he wanted power. He became a beast for power. The answer was now slapped on his face. He was a knight to the divine family. Of course he could not remember any of it. But there was one memory he surely would not forget.

He was a lost soul. How he ended up to hueco mundo- he does not have any idea. He was empty inside, just fighting those who challenged him from the dark. When he came to it, he was sitting in the middle of infinite white sand of hueco mundo and beside her was a beautiful woman in white. For an eternity he's never going to forget, he stared at her as she cried.

"Do you know what happened to you?" she asked as she cried.

Grimmjow would not answer.

"You died. Do you know why you are here?"

"No,"

"I closed hell's gates so they could not take you."

"Why?"

She did not answer but she smiled. Their conversation was stopped by a mass of hollows that tried to attack the woman. There were also shinigamis- Grimmjow killed them all. He does not understand anything but he was mad, he wanted to kill everyone; he wanted to die- he has no reason to live and he was just tired of living.

"They are attacking us because I saved you. The Soul palace will never accept me because I prevented you from going to hell… Up there, I have nothing to live for. I'm in a cage that will bind me for eternity…" she would look at Grimmjow, "but I met you when I snuck out. I wanted to stay by your side and I will defy all the rules just to see you again."

"I want to die," he said. "I have no reason to live or the debt to pay you. Let me die and go back," a divine person will always be accepted back to the palace but never with a corrupt person like him.

She looked down, "If it's a reason you want, then protect me. From now on, everybody… all forms of life and soul will hunt me down- hollows, shingamis, and even plain souls. This is the curse of divinity, Grimmjow. I will die without a fight. So protect me, you owe me your life- that's your debt. In exchange, let me stay by your side."

For more than a hundred thousands of years, he had stayed with her. Grimmjow did not understand what happened under but he had sworn to protect this person. The power he seeks was solely to protect the person who gave him a reason to live- Kiza, the one and only successor to the Soul king.

Kiza embraced him.

When she snuck out of the soul palace for the first time, she met a corrupt soul named Grimmjow. As far as she is concerned, he was born in soul society and was an enemy to the noble rulers of soul society (because there had been no gotei 13 yet). It turns out that the rulers were bad and Grimmjow used bad ways to fight them. She had fallen for him but justice is always in the side of the more powerful. He died shortly after they met and the only thing she could do is save him from hell.

"We will not forget this daughter of heaven, we never will," said the gatekeeper of hell.

They robbed him of everything and sent him to hueco mundo as a plain soul to be hunted by hollows without an essence to live. For a long time before the fall of noble rulers and establishment of gotei 13, he protected her but the soul king himself killed Grimmjow and jailed her to the palace again.

Never did she dream of a day that they will meet again and even though he has changed, he remembers her.

"This time, I will protect you for sure," Grimmjow said.

"It doesn't matter… just stay with me."

(a/n: If Uryuu's past is giving you a headache, then don't worry about it I will write the publish base fanfic of it… maybe when I get enough reviews? Or when I am motivated since I just want to write I don't care about your reviews.)

'This is weird,' Uryuu thought. In his dreams, he knew that he had killed this Yukinari. Then so, why is she on his side? That being said, she was there clinging to him since she appeared out of nowhere.

"Listen, Uryuu, I kind of started to understand what happened and I might not be in this form for long. I will return to my young shinigami self and will no longer remember about your past life. You had dreams right? You remembered me because your memories from your past life are still intact… well not intact but there. Uryuu… you have your reasons why you are on this side and I want to stay with you but the younger 'I' will not. I will stand by soul society and fight quincies. I'm sure I will do that so before it happens while I'm in here, I have to leave."

"Yukinari," he touched her hand. For a long time, he has dreamed of her and all that he wants is to touch her, hold her, embrace her, hug her, and continue all that they have left off. He now knows why he was in so much pain whenever he dreams of it. It was because he wants her so much but they have to be separated. So before he could think, he kissed her.

Then she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**(Hueco mundo)**

"Revived three people?" Chad asked as Kiza explained the situation to them.

She nodded. "I love how we are checking out on others by passing information. This is what I love about wars, though it's really sad at the same time."

"This is just a legend, but don't you have to sacrifice another's life to bring forth another? It's reasonable. It'd be a crime if you'd just raise them from the dead," said Kisuke. "None of them would be happy to now you killed someone for them."

"You know I stopped caring about rules," she glanced at Grimmjow who snobbed her flirting attempt. "But yes, I used somebody's time to compensate for the short time they'd be helping."

"By somebody," Orihime clutched her skirt. "You mean just one person's?"

"Do not be so nervous. I did not kill any person,"

She sighed with relief. "It's just that-"

Grimmjow interrupted. "By SOMEBODY," he clenched his teeth. "Ichigo that fucker cut off his own lifespan to revive them."

She smiled. "You sound genuinely concerned."

"And smart," Kisuke added.

"Tch,"

"No way, he did that?!" Orihime cried. She would have never thought that a portion of Kurosaki-kun's life would be chopped in this war. She always prayed that he will be safe and yet it felt like he has been killed too early.

"Onoue-san," Kiza said.

"It's Inoue," Chad corrected for Inoue who was too shocked.

Grimmjow stood up with a grin. "As long as he's alive, I'll get a chance to wipe the floor with him for now… I think we have a visitor."

They all tensed.

By the west side of the horizon, the dune was blown by a soft wind. In Hueco mundo, winds are very occasional and mostly man made. It went blurry but the reiatsu they felt was certain. As the dust cleared, Inoue choked up a sob, stood up and ran for him.

"Ul…Ulquiorra!"

(SOUL SOCIETY)

"Ichigo, you handle them," Rukia commanded. "They should not be that hard for you. I will be taking Captain Zaraki."

"You would have been better with girls but sure." Arguments with Rukia were always easier when she asks him things so he just accepted it. After all, he would not like her fighting (might she be super strong right now) like that time in Hueco mundo where they argued that she should not fight because he is worried (Renji was on her side of argument so they won) and ended up not being able to focus on battle that's why he lost to Ulquiorra if not for his hollow. It will not be long before she engages in battle again.

As much as possible, he wanted to take more enemies than she would.

She might be annoying so he could never admit that he cares for her (and it comes out that he sounds arrogant brat and a show-off in front of her). Rukia was more than a friend to him. She was his first teacher (he calls teachers in schools as "instructors"), his best and most trusted friend, his sister he loved to tease (annoying her was fun because she was annoying), a she's a family to him, and aside from Kon, his loud and precious roommate.

Changing his life was an old story now to them. They have been through a lot and their relationship was more than the lend power and endless saving about owing. When his friends couldn't reach him, Rukia was there standing close to him and standing next to him no matter what the circumstances are (and he would have done the same). When his family could not do anything about his loneliness, there was Rukia who stopped the rain.

He was so glad to hear from Kiza that the second person will protect Rukia at all costs. There was Renji and Byakuya but it was reassuring to have sacrified a bit of his life to give him a bodyguard like how Ishida appeared to guard Inoue when he fought with Ulquiorra.

Uryuu…

"Where do you think you're going?" he stopped the little girl from coming after Rukia.

"Dang, she got away!" Candy stomped her foot.

"What a waste of beauty,"

"Yeah. Why do pretty girls go with guys like this?"

"I don't like that she's cute. I'll destroy that face."

"She said she's not cute."

"I hate tsundere."

Ichigo sighed. "Can we get over the talking now?"

(Rukia)

She stopped and scanned her surroundings. Was it her imagination?

Zaraki pushed her.

"Captain Zaraki!" she said.

"What now," he sighed. "I thought they were easy bitsy, didn't realize I'm in no shape."

Rukia blushed. Did she just scold the captain and got an explanation? "W-we're going to Vice Captain Kotetsu,"

He looked at her. "You were good with the kidou right? Patch me up,"

"I'm going to pass you to the healing team. I've got stuff to do."

He grabbed her arm, "Oi, Kuchiki… I thought I might be wrong," he grinned- the creepy grin. "But that's your reiatsu isn't it?"

"Zaraki-taichou!"

He laughed and let her go. "Just first aid," he peeled off the eye patch that automatically gave her a chill down the spine. "If it's reiatsu, I'm eternal."

He was right. There was no way this level could be defeated by the women who fought with Ichigo. If anything happened, he must have overestimated his body that time and thought he could still kill with those injuries. But if she would heal him, he might be a formidable ally. No. he had always been formidable.

"Or do you want a go with me to see for yourself? I've wanted to fight stronger girls than those,"

Waste of time. "This is partial," she punched his gut which did not do anything but make him grin. "If you want to fight me, I would actually want to furnish my swordsmanship. They said you were good with kendo."

"HAHAHAH! Very well! I will kick you all, your brother and Ichigo!"

After a little work on his internal organs and burns, Rukia stopped not because she wanted to fight but there was that nagging poke again. It wasn't physical. There was something that had been telling her to run- instinct… and familiarity.

Kenpachi checked himself and stood to attack Rukia.

"Better runner than her brother," he muttered and walked away. "Those cowards,"

He walked away. Rukia ran away to avoid a waste of time with the captain and to get the 'now sure' reiatsu that was around them. This one is quite more dangerous than As Nodt and Bazz B… and threateningly familiar.


End file.
